Manual reset relief valve closure



` 3,189,213 MANUAL RESET RELHEF VALVE CLGSURE Harry W. Nimmo, Davison, Mich., assignor to General `Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation el p Delaware Filed Dec. 18, 1961, Ser. No. 159,911 4 Claims. (Cl. 220-44) safe in operation without the necessity of removal of the i cap from its operative position and which will remain open until manually reset into its closed position when reestablishment of a pressure is desired.

A feature of the invention is an improved closure having an over-centering arrangement elfective automatically to open a relief bypass when a predetermined fluid pressure contained by the closure is exceeded or attained. Another feature is an exposed means connected to the over-centering arrangement for manually resetting the closure into its closed condition while retained in position on a filler neck.

With these ends in view, the novel aspects will be apparent as set forth in the following specification and as particularly set forth in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a sectional view through a closure and a radiator neck of an automobile, the closure being one embodiment of the present invention and being shown in Condition fully closingthe neck;

` FIGURE 2 is a view similar to that of FIGURE l but an over-centering arrangement in the closure being at the point of but prior to opening of a relief bypass due to excess uid pressure in the radiator;

FIGURE 3 is a view similar to that of FIGURE 1 but with a relief valve of the closure being open; and

FIGURE 4` is a perspective view, drawn to a reduced scale showing an over-centering leaf-type of spring utilized in the closure of FIGURE 1.

It is conventional in modern automobiles to pressurize radiators in the interest of engine cooling etliciency and usually the radiator liller neck is provided with inner and outer annular fshoulders facing away from the radiator and serving as axially spaced valve seats and between which is `located at atmospheric vent. After partially loosening the closure and before removing the latter from mechanically retained relation with the neck, pressure in the cooling system is relieved through the vent in order to safeguard the operator from burns. Such a closure is shown in the United States Patent 2,865,531, issued December 23, 1958, in the names of I. R. S. Gorst and S. W. Kemp.

The presently described invention is embodied in a closure generally indicated at as removably attached to a `filler neck 12 having annular inner and outer shoulders 14 and 16 respectively and a main radiator opening 17. The neck is also provided with a vent 18 located between the shoulders. The neck 12 is fixed to a radiator head tank 20 by means of brazing or soldering as at 22. Attachment of the closure 10 to the neck 12 is by opposed and inwardly directed tongues 24 and 26 on the closure cooperating with notches and inclined camming edges (not shown) which are conventional on automobile radiator necks.

The enclosure 1t) comprises an outer cover 30 the periphery of which is crimped as at 32 to lock it securely in place around an inner cover 34. The latter bears the United States Patent C) two tongues 24 and 26 heretofore referredto. The inner cover 34 bears a central recess 36 in its top side and which is spanned by an overcentering leaf-type spring 38 best seen in FIGURE 4. The spring 38 is rectangular and is provided with twoslots 40 connected by a transverse slot 42. This results in the formation of two inwardly directed spring arms 44 the ends-of which are notched as at 46 at the slot 42. The ends of the spring 3S are xed to the inner cover 34 by means of opposed tongues 48 formed from the inner cover 34. The center of the inner cover 34 is apertured as at Sl) to receive the reduced portion 52 of a cylindrical guide member 54.

The latter bears a central aperture 56 for slidably retaining a plunger 58. The plunger bears an annular groove 60 for receiving the inner ends of the spring arms 44 and Ithe top of the plunger is xed to a plastic button 62 which extends out through an opening 64 in the outer cover 30. The button 62 bears an upwardly facing peripheral shoulder 66 which is adapted to cooperate with the outer cover 30 in determining the maximum expelled positon of the plunger 58. The lower end of the plunger bears a tapered portion 7) which is embedded in a relief valve 80. The latter is in the form of a cylindrical and resilient rubber element located in registry with a relief opening 82 formed in a main .valve generally indicated at 83.

Located between the recessed portion of the inner cover 34 and a shoulder 84 formed on the `guide member 54 is a valve or resilient disk 86 and the bottom 88 of an inverted cup 90. The disk 86 is such that its peripheral y margin may bear or` seat upon the outer shoulder 16 of the neck 12 when the closure is in its operative position. The cup 90 is apertured as at 92 giving open communication between the relief valve 80 and the vent 18. The outer margin of the inverted cup 90 is crimped around the perimeter of a disk 94 for" rigid adherence thereto. The disk 94 is apertured as at 96 to permitlmovement of an inner cup member 98. It is also so formed as to aid in retaining the thickened peripheral portion of a resilient diaphragm 100. This thickened portion is adapted n to register with or seat on the shoulder 14 to close the opening 17. The inner cup 98 has its bottom so placed as to reinforce the diaphragm 100 and it bears the central aperture S2 which is in registry with the relief valve 89. A space 102 is provided between the thickened portion of the diaphragm 10i) and the outer periphery of the inner cup 98. This allows a relative motion between the inner cup and the thickened portion of the diaphragm and a resultant distortion of an annular bight portion 103 of the diaphragm. A coiled spring 1014 surrounds the guiding member 54 as well as the relief valve 80 and is placed in compression between the inverted cup and the inner cup 98.

Assuming that the parts of the closure 10 are positioned with relation to each other somewhat as depicted in FIG- URE 1 (the disk 86 periphery not yet deilected by the neck), the closure may be applied to the filler neck 12 to cause the disk 86 to seat and it may then be rotated resiliently to retain the disk 86 on the shoulder 16 and, in addition, to hold the main valve 84 in seating relation with the shoulder 14. Under these circumstances, the cooling system as represented by the radiator head tank 20 is closed and ready for or in operation.

In the event, however, that the pressure in the cooling system should unduly rise or exceed the predetermined desired maximum pressure such pressure will be exerted against the inside of the diaphragm as indicated in FIGURE 2. The spring 104 will simultaneously be slightly compressed and the upper portion of the button 62 will emerge a short distance from the outer cover 30. When an over-centering point of travel of the spring Patented ,June l5, 1965 arms 44 is reached, a snap action will occur with the result the spring arms 44 will lift the relief valve 80 and open the relief port 82. When this occurs, the spring 104 will retain the seating of the diaphragm 1MP on the shoulder 14 and the radiator is vented by way of the opening 82, the openings 92 and the vent 13. It is to be noted that the diaphragm 100 does not lift from the shoulder 14 at any time during this venting procedure, i.e., venting by way of the opening 82 is due to overcoming a given loading of spring 38. The disk 86 contines the flow of vented uid for discharge solely by way of the vent 18.

With or without a prior removal of the closure 16 from the ller neck 12 and the valve 80 having been opened, the over-centering arrangement may be overcome manually by depressing the button 62 again to seat the relief valve 80 in its closed position.

I claim:

I. A closure for a ller neck of an automobile radiator having axially spaced annular inner and outer shoulders and a vent between said shoulders, said closure including an outer cover rotatably detachable from said neck, a main valve corresponding with said inner shoulder, a disk corresponding with said outer shoulder, said main valve having a central vent opening adapted to be placed in communication with said vent, a relief valve in registry with said vent opening, over-centering spring means xed to said closure and relief valve for selectively holding of said relief valve closed and open, a plunger connecting said spring means and said relief valve and extending through said outer cover for exterior control of said relief valve, and the contour of an exposed surface of said plunger substantially conforming with the contour of said outer cover when said relief Valve is closed.

2. A closure for a ller neck having axially spaced annular inner and outer shoulders and a vent between said shoulders, said closure including a main valve corresponding with said inner shoulder, a valve disk corresponding with said outer shoulder, said main valve having an opening, a relief valve in registry with said opening, and an over-centering arrangement connecting said closure and relief valve for imparting relative movement thereto and including a plunger having one end accessible from the exterior of said closure for manually operating said overcentering device, and its other end xed to said relief valve.

3. A closure for a filler neck having axially spaced annular inner and outer shoulders and a vent between said shoulders, said closure including cover means adapted to be removably attached to said neck, a main valve carried by said closure and adapted to seat -on said inner shoulder, a valve disk corresponding with said outer shoulder and carried by said closure, said main valve including an inverted cup spanned by a resilient diaphragm having an opening and an annular portion conforming with said inner shoulder, a relief valve in registry with said diaphragm opening, a plunger, an over-centering arrangement within said cover means, said plunger connecting said arrangement to said relief valve for imparting relative movement to the latter and means in the form of a button accessible from the exterior of said cover means for manually operating said overcentering arrangement to place said relief valve in closed position with respect to said diaphragm opening.

4. A closure including cover means for closing the end of a filler neck, a main valve rigidly xed to said cover means and being of smaller diameter for insertion into said neck, said main valve including a resilient diaphragm with a central vent opening, a vent valve in registry with said vent opening and slidably mounted in said closure, a plunger accessible through said cover means and connected to said vent valve, an over-centering spring within said cover means and connected to said plunger, and the arrangement being such that the contour of said plunger conforms with that of said cover means when said vent valve is in a closed position with relation to said vent opening.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,203,801 6/40 Swank 220-44 2,484,083 10/ 49 Findley 220--44 2,528,791 11/50 Scoville 220-44 2,591,562 4/52 Levell 220-44 2,649,986 8/53 Konchan 220-44 FOREIGN PATENTS 553,444 12/56 Italy.

FRANKLIN T. GARRETT, Primary Examiner.

EARLE I. DRUMMOND, Examiner. 

1. A CLOSURE FOR A FILLER NECK OF AN AUTOMOBILE RADIATOR HAVING AXIALLY SPACED ANNULAR INNER AND OUTER SHOULDERS AND A VENT BETWEEN SAID SHOULDERS, SAID CLOSURE INCLUDING AN OUTER COVER ROTATABLY DETACHABLE FROM SAID NECK, A MAIN VALVE CORRESPONDING WITH SAID INNER SHOULDER, A DISK CORRESPONDING WITH SAID OUTER SHOULDER, SAID MAIN VALVE HAVING A CENTRAL VENT OPENING ADAPTED TO BE PLACED IN COMMUNICATION WITH SAID VENT, A RELIEF VALVE IN REGISTRY WITH SAID VENT OPENING, OVER-CENTERING SPRING MEANS FIXED TO SAID CLOSURE AND RELIEF VALVE FOR SELECTIVELY HOLDING OF SAID RELIEF VALVE CLOSED AND OPEN, A PLUNGER CONNECTING SAID SPRING MEANS AND SAID RELIEF VALVE AND EXTENDING THROUGH SAID OUTER COVER FOR EXTERIOR CONTROL OF SAID RELIEF VALVE, AND THE CONTOUR OF AN EXPOSED SURFACE OF SAID PLUNGER SUBSTANTIALLY CONFORMING WITH THE CONTOUR OF SAID OUTER COVER WHEN SAID RELIEF VALVE IS CLOSED. 